He Wants An Open Marriage? Done!

Roxanne’s jaw hardened into a rigid line, her mind racing to map out his angle.

She knew Christian far too well, and history had taught her that nothing good ever came from his unannounced appearances. He was a predator who fed on vulnerability, and she refused to give him a single drop. She needed to end this call before he could dig his claws any deeper.

"Hello? Roxanne, are you still there?" Christian’s smooth voice filtered through the speaker once again.

Roxanne cleared her throat, keeping her voice completely flat. "Who is speaking?"

Christian chuckled softly over the line, the sound low and thoroughly irritating. "Oh, Roxanne," he purred, his voice dripping with an obvious, self-satisfied grin. "Of course you know exactly who is calling. So let’s drop the little act and—"

"What do you want?" Roxanne cut in sharply, her tone laced with heavy impatience. "Make it quick. I have actual work to do."

A brief silence stretched over the line, filled only by the faint static of the cellular connection.

"You know, you really don’t need to throw your job in my face," Christian said, his tone shifting into a condescending drawl. "I am fully aware that you are employed now. And I think I should mention that I come in peace."

Beside her, Richard’s knuckles turned bone-white as his hand gripped the edge of the mahogany desk. A dangerous tension radiated off his tall frame as he listened to every word.

Roxanne kept her eyes fixed on the glowing screen. "Just state your business. I don’t have all day."

Christian exhaled a long, dramatic sigh into his microphone. "You sound like Richard is standing right there in the room with you," he observed smoothly.

Richard and Roxanne exchanged a brief, uncomfortable glance. Her heart did an anxious flip in her chest. How could he possibly know that? She forced her facial expression to remain completely neutral.

It was just a lucky guess, a standard psychological trick he loved to play, and she knew better than to let him rattle her composure.

"Ah, I see," Christian said, taking her silence as confirmation. "That is why you are putting on this cold routine, right? Not to worry. I will call you back later when you are alone so we can have a proper conversation. Tell Richard I said hello."

Richard abruptly let go of the desk and walked toward the large glass window, shoving his hands deep into his trouser pockets. His posture was stiff, the muscles in his back tightly coiled like a spring ready to snap.

"If you can’t tell me right now exactly what this call is about, don’t bother reaching out again," Roxanne said, her voice firm and unyielding as her jaw tightened another fraction. "Because after today, my number will be completely unreachable to you."

"Whoa, Roxanne. Calm yourself down," Christian said, dropping his voice into a fake, soothing register that made her skin crawl. "All I wanted to do was let you know that I am here for you. I know you need a solid shoulder to cry on right now, and I want you to know my door is open."

Roxanne’s eyebrows pinched together in a tight, confused line. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Do you really want me to spell it out, Roxanne? Alright, if you insist," Christian said, the smirk evident in his smooth cadence. "I know all about the news. I know that Cara and Richard are expecting a child together."

"And that is the reason you decided to make this call?" Roxanne asked, shaking her head in sheer disbelief. "Well, I don’t need your—"

"You really don’t need to play the strong, independent woman with me, Roxanne," Christian interrupted, his tone sickeningly soft with artificial pity.

Roxanne frowned, her pulse spiking loudly in her ears as a sudden chill ran down her spine. What the hell was he trying to drive at?

"I know how devastating this news must be for you," Christian continued, his voice dropping into a murmur. "I mean, think about it. Every single man you have ever been with has gone on to start a family and have children with someone else, yet you—" He cut himself off, leaving the unspoken accusation hanging heavy in the air.

The words landed like a jagged blade thrust directly into her chest. The air left her lungs in a sharp gasp, and a sudden, burning heat rushed behind her eyes.

Richard whirled around from the window and charged back toward the desk. His face was dark with pure rage, and his heavy fist slammed down onto the polished wood with a loud crack that rattled the phone.

But before his anger could completely spill over, Roxanne reached out and placed a trembling hand on his arm, shaking her head in silent plea.

Richard’s blazing eyes darted down to her pale face, his chest heaving with unrestrained fury. "How dare he?" he growled under his breath.

Roxanne swallowed hard, fighting down the lump in her throat. She forced her eyes to stay dry, refusing to shed a single tear for the man on the phone. "It doesn’t matter," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "He is wrong."

Richard pulled away from her touch, pacing back and forth across the soft carpet like a caged predator trying to burn off the sheer urge to break something.

"I know you are probably crying right now, and I honestly feel terrible for you," Christian’s voice drifted through the small speaker again, entirely unaware of the storm in the office. "The story is headline news everywhere now. I warned you about getting involved with a man like Richard, but you were so blinded by his luxury lifestyle. I would have never embarrassed you like this in front of the world."

Roxanne took a slow, deep breath, forcing her lungs to fill with air to steady her vocal cords. "Are you finished now, Christian?" she asked, her voice remarkably even.

"There is no need to be defensive, Roxanne," Christian urged smoothly. "Just name a quiet place to meet, and I will be there. I can offer you a shoulder to cry on, or whatever else you might need."

"End that call right now, Roxanne," Richard demanded through tightly clenched teeth, stopping his pacing to glare at the glowing device. "I don’t know how much longer I can keep my hands off this phone."

Roxanne looked up at Richard’s furious expression and let out a soft sigh. She turned back toward the desk, glaring at Christian’s name lit up on the display.

"Let me make something abundantly clear to you, Christian," she said, her voice cold. "I do not need you, I do not want your sympathy, and I want absolutely nothing to do with your life. Richard is the only man—"

Christian scoffed loudly over the speaker, cutting her off mid-sentence. "You are speaking far too confidently for someone in your position," he sneered, dropping the gentle facade entirely. "Why are you placing so much faith in a man you barely even know? You haven’t even been with him for three full months, and he is already parading his messy scandals all over the national press? Oh, Roxanne. You deserve so much better than his table scraps."

Roxanne’s jaw set hard. "I know exactly who—"

"My shoulder will always be available for you whenever you are ready to stop lying to yourself," Christian said, his voice dripping with pure mockery. "Whenever you realize how much you actually miss what we had."

Roxanne opened her mouth to hurl a fierce rebuttal back at him, but a harsh electronic tone cut her off. The line went completely dead.

The sudden silence in the spacious office was suffocating.

Richard stopped dead in his tracks, staring directly at Roxanne as his nostrils flared with residual anger, the quiet air heavy with the promise of an impending storm.

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